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Why is passive voice so bad? I have a major problem identifying the difference between active and passive. The sentence says and emphasizes the same thing, or that's what I see when I read it anyway.
It seems that the negative connotation is due to the ability to omit a subject in a passive voice sentence, thereby communicating a vague or unclear idea. With that said, not all passive voice sentences are bad.See this link for history writing, as well as a few myths regarding the passive voice:http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.html#8
Not all passive writing is bad, but it is generally not as convincing as active voice. I think in history you cannot avoid all passive voice but you can avoid most of it. Passive voice is just not as compelling as active voice, especially when you are trying to make a point.
